In the flesh You fell asleep as a mere mortal,
O King and Lord! But on the third day You arose,
lifting Adam from corruption, abolishing death!
O Pasch of incorruption! O salvation of the world!
Exapostolarion

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,

Christ IS Risen! Indeed He IS Risen

Хрїстóсъ воскрéсе! Воистину воскресе! (Old Slavonic)
Christos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese (Transliteration)

Христос воскрес! Воістину воскрес! (Ukrainian)
Chrystos voskres! Voistynu voskres! (Transliteration)

Χριστός ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ανέστη! (Greek)
Khristós Anésti! Alithós Anésti! (Transliteration)

Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit vere! (Latin)

المسيح قام! حقا قام!‎ ; المسيح قام! بالحقيقة قام!‎ (Arabic)
al-Masīḥ qām! Belḥāqiqāti qām! (Transliteration)

Today I would greet you with great joy and a sacred kiss as we celebrate God’s revelation to us: Life is immortal! The Resurrection of Jesus gives proof to this truth. Truly there is great reason for us to rejoice. Death no longer can contain us!

It is truly my hope that all who join with me in worshipping our Loving God will hear these words and find reason to rejoice with me. It is my hope that our religion might bring joy to all who join with me. The story of Jesus, I believe, IS a revelation made to us by our God about human life. It seems so very clear in our tradition! God became man so that we might truly understand the meaning and purpose of life and know that He has created us, out of love, to share in His Kingdom. We are heirs to His Kingdom. We are His sons and daughters! How do I dare to say this? I say this because our Church proclaims this. Our understanding of God’s incarnation as a human being tells us that He has created us in His image and likeness. He chose, from all eternity, to make us sharers in His Divine Life. Why? Because He is love and love can only desire what is good for the one loved. I exhort you this day to dare to believe that you are loved by our God and, in thanksgiving, love Him in return by the way you choose to live.

Truly salvation means to know that we share in God’s own life and that, because He is the source of our life, we share in His immortality.

Father Wayne